Coordinating BLS Ambulance Services in Greece with ERTRIAGE: Optimizing Daily Emergency Response and Hospital Resource Use

In Greece’s healthcare system—where BLS (Basic Life Support) ambulance units form the backbone of daily emergency medical services—efficient coordination, early diagnostics, and smart hospital transfers are essential. However, resource limitations, delays in patient routing, and inconsistent triage communication between ambulances and Emergency Rooms (ERs) often create bottlenecks in urgent care.

ERTRIAGE, a clinical device-based mobile triage system, enhances the operational capabilities of BLS ambulances by providing real-time decision support, early diagnosis, and automated hospital coordination, transforming standard transport units into intelligent pre-hospital medical platforms.

The Role of BLS Units in Greece

BLS ambulances under EKAB (National Emergency Center of Greece) handle:

• Routine emergencies (e.g., chest pain, falls, shortness of breath)

• Non-critical inter-hospital transfers

• First-line responses when ALS (Advanced Life Support) teams are unavailable

These units typically lack diagnostic tools and direct ER coordination, leading to undertriaged or misrouted patients, and increased delays at hospital entrances.

How ERTRIAGE Empowers BLS Teams

1. Clinical Device Integration

Each BLS unit is equipped with ERTRIAGE tablets connected to diagnostic tools like:

• Vital sign monitors (BP, pulse, SpO₂)

• Portable ECGs

• Thermometers and glucose meters

These plug-and-play devices allow real-time clinical data capture, which is interpreted by ERTRIAGE’s AI to generate early diagnoses and triage scores.

2. Early Diagnosis + Triage = Smarter Transfers

Using AI-enhanced analysis of clinical data, ERTRIAGE provides:

• Differential diagnosis suggestions (e.g., myocardial infarction vs. panic attack)

• Triage level categorization (Green/Yellow/Red) based on urgency

• Suggested hospital destinations based on real-time ER capacity and specialty availability

This enables the correct patient to be routed to the right hospital, improving outcomes and reducing ER congestion.

3. Real-Time ER Notification

Before the ambulance arrives:

• Patient triage data is shared securely with receiving hospitals.

• ER staff see live dashboards with ETA, vital signs, and clinical status.

• Hospital teams can prepare trauma bays, cardiology rooms, or imaging units in advance.

No more “surprise” critical arrivals—ERTRIAGE turns every BLS unit into a coordinated part of the ER workflow.

Daily Use Scenario: Athens City Center, Midday Chest Pain Call

1. A BLS unit responds to a chest pain call near Syntagma Square.

2. Using ERTRIAGE and a Bluetooth ECG monitor, paramedics collect data.

3. ERTRIAGE detects ST-elevation and classifies the patient as Red (STEMI suspect).

4. Based on hospital input feeds, the system recommends routing to Evangelismos Hospital with active cath lab availability.

5. The hospital is alerted in real-time. Cardiologists prepare.

6. The patient is received within the golden hour, saving critical time.

System-Wide Impact for EKAB and National Emergency Coordination

Deploying ERTRIAGE across BLS units:

• Hospital load is balanced across Athens, Thessaloniki, and regional centers.

• Delays at hospital doors are minimized—no need for “parking” patients due to ER misalignment.

• Paramedics receive support in ambiguous cases, improving care quality.

• Interhospital transfers are triaged smartly, reducing unnecessary secondary transport.

Real Benefits for Greece’s Emergency System

Preparedness, Not Just Response

Even on “routine” days, ERTRIAGE supports BLS teams with:

• Daily alerts for hospital congestion

• Predictive triage learning based on common seasonal patterns (e.g., flu spikes, heatstroke risk)

• Training mode for EMS staff to simulate cases and improve readiness